Python 3.7.9 : simple zodiac diagrams with ephem and matplotlib.

I used openai chat to test another issue with these python packages: ephem and matplotlib.

It seems that openai is limited to new changes in python packages, but it resolves quite well combinations of source code that it has corrected with defined errors. It can't really extract source code from general questions. Anyway, it is a very good help for a programmer in the initial phase of any project.

This source code show two diagrams about the solar system on a specific date:

import ephem
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

# create an observer
obs = ephem.Observer()

# set the observer's location
obs.lat = '47.27' # latitude
obs.lon = '26.18' # longitude
obs.elevation = 307 # elevation (meters)

# set the date and time of the observation
obs.date = '2022/05/15 12:00:00' # date and time
# if you want you can use now() for real time data

# create the bodies
mercury = ephem.Mercury(obs)
venus = ephem.Venus(obs)
mars = ephem.Mars(obs)
jupiter = ephem.Jupiter(obs)
saturn = ephem.Saturn(obs)
uranus = ephem.Uranus(obs)
neptune = ephem.Neptune(obs)
pluto = ephem.Pluto(obs)
moon = ephem.Moon(obs) 

# compute the position of each planet and the moon
mercury.compute(obs)
venus.compute(obs)
mars.compute(obs)
jupiter.compute(obs)
saturn.compute(obs)
uranus.compute(obs)
neptune.compute(obs)
pluto.compute(obs)
moon.compute(obs)  

# extract ra and dec coordinates of each body
ra = [mercury.ra, venus.ra, mars.ra, jupiter.ra, saturn.ra, uranus.ra, neptune.ra, pluto.ra,moon.ra]
dec = [mercury.dec, venus.dec, mars.dec, jupiter.dec, saturn.dec, uranus.dec, neptune.dec, pluto.dec,moon.dec]

# convert ra,dec from radians to degrees
ra = [r*180/ephem.pi for r in ra]
dec = [d*180/ephem.pi for d in dec]
print(ra,dec)
# create a scatter plot of the positions
plt.scatter(ra, dec)

# add labels for each planet
plt.annotate('Mercury', (ra[0], dec[0]))
plt.annotate('Venus', (ra[1], dec[1]))
plt.annotate('Mars', (ra[2], dec[2]))
plt.annotate('Jupiter', (ra[3], dec[3]))
plt.annotate('Saturn', (ra[4], dec[4]))
plt.annotate('Uranus', (ra[5], dec[5]))
plt.annotate('Neptune', (ra[6], dec[6]))
plt.annotate('Pluto', (ra[7], dec[7]))
plt.annotate('Moon', (ra[8], dec[8]))

plt.xlabel("RA [degrees]")
plt.ylabel("Dec [degrees]")

# show the plot
plt.show()

# Set the figure size
plt.figure(figsize=(10, 10))

# Define the polar axis
ax = plt.subplot(111, projection='polar')

# Set the axis limits
ax.set_ylim(0, 36)

# Plot the Sun at the center
plt.scatter(0, 0, s=200, color='yellow')

mercury_distance = mercury.earth_distance
venus_distance= venus.earth_distance
mars_distance= mars.earth_distance
jupiter_distance= jupiter.earth_distance
saturn_distance= saturn.earth_distance
uranus_distance= uranus.earth_distance
neptune_distance= neptune.earth_distance
pluto_distance= pluto.earth_distance
moon_distance= moon.earth_distance
print(mercury_distance)
distance = [mercury_distance,venus_distance,mars_distance,jupiter_distance,saturn_distance,uranus_distance,neptune_distance,pluto_distance,moon_distance]

# Plot the planets
plt.scatter(ra[0], distance[0], s=20, color='green')
plt.scatter(ra[1], distance[1], s=50, color='orange')
plt.scatter(ra[2], distance[2], s=80, color='red')
plt.scatter(ra[3], distance[3], s=120, color='brown')
plt.scatter(ra[4], distance[4], s=150, color='tan')
plt.scatter(ra[5], distance[5], s=100, color='blue')
plt.scatter(ra[6], distance[6], s=80, color='cyan')
plt.scatter(ra[7], distance[7], s=40, color='purple')
plt.scatter(ra[8], distance[8], s=20, color='gray')

# add the labels for each planet
plt.annotate('Mercury',(ra[0], distance[0]),xytext=(ra[0], distance[0] - 2))
plt.annotate('Venus',(ra[1], distance[1]),xytext=(ra[1], distance[1] - 2))
plt.annotate('Mars',(ra[2], distance[2]),xytext=(ra[2], distance[2] - 2))
plt.annotate('Jupiter',(ra[3], distance[3]),xytext=(ra[3], distance[3] - 4))
plt.annotate('Saturn',(ra[4], distance[4]),xytext=(ra[4], distance[4] - 4))
plt.annotate('Uranus',(ra[5], distance[5]),xytext=(ra[5], distance[5] - 2))
plt.annotate('Neptune',(ra[6], distance[6]),xytext=(ra[6], distance[6] - 2))
plt.annotate('Pluto',(ra[7], distance[7]),xytext=(ra[7], distance[7] - 2))
plt.annotate('Moon',(ra[8], distance[8]),xytext=(ra[8], distance[8] - 2))

# Show the plot
plt.show()

This is the result of this source code:

Python 3.7.9 : simple zodiac constellation with ephem.

This time I used openai chat to create my source code and with small changes it worked…

PyEphem provides an ephem Python package for performing high-precision astronomy computations. The underlying numeric routines are coded in C and are the same ones that drive the popular XEphem astronomy application, whose author, Elwood Charles Downey, generously gave permission for their use in PyEphem. The name ephem is short for the word ephemeris, which is the traditional term for a table giving the position of a planet, asteroid, or comet for a series of dates.

import ephem

# create an observer
obs = ephem.Observer()

# set the observer's location
obs.lat = '47.27' # latitude
obs.lon = '26.18' # longitude
obs.elevation = 307 # elevation (meters)

# set the date and time of the observation
obs.date = '2022/05/15 12:00:00' # date and time

# create the bodies
mercury = ephem.Mercury(obs)
venus = ephem.Venus(obs)
mars = ephem.Mars(obs)
jupiter = ephem.Jupiter(obs)
saturn = ephem.Saturn(obs)
uranus = ephem.Uranus(obs)
neptune = ephem.Neptune(obs)
pluto = ephem.Pluto(obs)
moon = ephem.Moon(obs)

# print the constellation
print("Mercury:", ephem.constellation(mercury))
print("Venus:", ephem.constellation(venus))
print("Mars:", ephem.constellation(mars))
print("Jupiter:", ephem.constellation(jupiter))
print("Saturn:", ephem.constellation(saturn))
print("Uranus:", ephem.constellation(uranus))
print("Neptune:", ephem.constellation(neptune))
print("Pluto:", ephem.constellation(pluto))
print("Moon:", ephem.constellation(moon))

This is result of the running source code:

python constelation001.py
Mercury: ('Tau', 'Taurus')
Venus: ('Psc', 'Pisces')
Mars: ('Aqr', 'Aquarius')
Jupiter: ('Psc', 'Pisces')
Saturn: ('Cap', 'Capricornus')
Uranus: ('Ari', 'Aries')
Neptune: ('Psc', 'Pisces')
Pluto: ('Sgr', 'Sagittarius')
Moon: ('Lib', 'Libra')

Python 3.7.9 : simple zodiac with pyephem and ephem.

I don't know how to calculate a zodiac exactly, from what I understand the planets and the moon must overlap. so I tested a script that calculates the dates between the planets and the moon when they appear within one degree of each other and displays them in an array with rows and columns created from these planets and the moon. The intersections on the diagonal should be none because there's obviously no way to overlap the same object, and they only occur when there's this less than one degree rule.

If you think it is wrong then you can try to fix it.

You can install pyephem and ephem with pip tool, I used both python packages:

pip install pyephem --user
Requirement already satisfied: pyephem in 
... site-packages (9.99)
Requirement already satisfied: ephem in 
...
site-packages (from pyephem) (4.1.4)

This is the source script.

import ephem

# create a list with planets objects from ephem
planets = [ephem.Mercury(), ephem.Venus(), ephem.Mars(), ephem.Jupiter(), ephem.Saturn(), ephem.Uranus(), ephem.Neptune(), ephem.Moon()]

start_date = ephem.Date("2023/01/01")
end_date = ephem.Date("2023/12/31")
date = start_date

# create matrix to store planet names and conjunction dates
matrix = [[None for _ in range(len(planets) + 1)] for _ in range(len(planets))]

# create list to store planet names
planet_names = [planet.name for planet in planets]
# list all planets names as first row in matrix
matrix.insert(0, [""] + planet_names)

while date < end_date:
    for i, planet1 in enumerate(planets):
        for j, planet2 in enumerate(planets):
            if i < j:
                planet1.compute(date)
                planet2.compute(date)
                sep = ephem.separation(planet1, planet2) #  calculate the angular distance
                # compare the separation, if less than 0.01 degree then it's a conjunction
                if sep < 1.0:
                    date_formatted = date.datetime().strftime("%d %B %Y")
                    matrix[i+1][j+1] = date_formatted
                    break
    date = ephem.Date(date + 1)
# print a matrix with date is separation from 1 degree between planets on rows and column
for row in matrix:
    print(row)

This is the result:

['', 'Mercury', 'Venus', 'Mars', 'Jupiter', 'Saturn', 'Uranus', 'Neptune', 'Moon']
[None, None, '30 December 2023', '14 December 2023', '20 June 2023', None, None, None, None]
[None, None, None, '30 December 2023', '15 March 2023', '06 January 2023', None, None, '12 October 2023']
[None, None, None, None, None, None, '24 April 2023', None, '16 December 2023']
[None, None, None, None, None, '05 June 2023', '30 December 2023', None, None]
[None, None, None, None, None, None, None, '30 December 2023', None]
[None, None, None, None, None, None, None, '30 December 2023', None]
[None, None, None, None, None, None, None, None, '23 December 2023']
[None, None, None, None, None, None, None, None, None]

Python 3.7.9 : The sunpy python package - part 001.

In the past, I have written several small tutorials related to this Python package. Now I have some news related to the sunpy python package:

• HelioviewerClient is deprecated;
• The Helioviewer Project now maintains a Python Wrapper called hvpy.
• sunpy users are encouraged to upgrade parfive python package;
• the sunpy.database deprecation;
the sample data files provided through sunpy.data.sample are now downloaded individually on demand;
• SunPy is tested against Python 2.7, 3.5, and 3.6.;
• SunPy no longer supports Python 3.4.;
• easy to extract data values from a GenericMap along a curve specified by a set of coordinates using the new sunpy.map.extract_along_coord function;
• has a new make_heliographic_header() function that simplifies creating map headers that span the whole solar surface in Carrington or Stonyhurst coordinates;
• aiaprep is now deprecated;
• ... and more on the official website.

I install this python package on the Windows OS with the pip tool:

pip install "sunpy[all] -U"

You can install extra available options: [asdf], [dask], [database], [image], [jpeg2000], [map], [net], [timeseries], [visualization].

You can see the version of this python package with this source code:

 import sunpy
print(sunpy.__version__)
3.1.8

I tested this package with this simple source code:

from matplotlib import pyplot as plt
import sunpy.map
import sunpy.data.sample  
sunpyAIA = sunpy.map.Map(sunpy.data.sample.AIA_171_IMAGE) 
sunpyAIA.plot()
plt.colorbar()
plt.show()

The instrument is AIA and the measurement is 171, see more on this online tool named helioviewer.

After I run I got this image:

Python 3.11.0 : The scapy python module - part 003.

Scapy is a powerful interactive packet manipulation program. It is able to forge or decode packets of a wide number of protocols, send them on the wire, capture them, match requests and replies, and much more. It can easily handle most classical tasks like scanning, tracerouting, probing, unit tests, attacks or network discovery (it can replace hping, 85% of nmap, arpspoof, arp-sk, arping, tcpdump, tshark, p0f, etc.). It also performs very well at a lot of other specific tasks that most other tools can’t handle, like sending invalid frames, injecting your own 802.11 frames, combining technics (VLAN hopping+ARP cache poisoning, VOIP decoding on WEP encrypted channel, …), etc.

First, you need to install it with pip tool: pip install scapy --user.

I used with WinPcap from this webpage, but you will see the recomandation is to use Npcap.

#!/usr/bin/env python3
import os
print(os.sys.path)
from scapy.all import *

def mysniff(interface):
    sniff(iface=interface, store=False, prn=process_sniffed_packet)

def process_sniffed_packet(packet):
    pyperclip.copy(str(packet))
    print(packet)

mysniff("Realtek PCIe GbE Family Controller")

The running result is something like this:

...
WARNING: WinPcap is now deprecated (not maintained). Please use Npcap instead
Ether / IP / TCP 104.244.42.2:https > 192.168.0.143:55478 PA / Raw
Ether / IP / TCP 192.168.0.143:55478 > 104.244.42.2:https PA / Raw
Ether / IP / TCP 192.168.0.143:55478 > 104.244.42.2:https PA / Raw
Ether / IP / TCP 104.244.42.2:https > 192.168.0.143:55478 A / Padding
Ether / IP / TCP 104.244.42.2:https > 192.168.0.143:55478 A / Padding
Ether / ARP who has 192.168.0.1 says 192.168.0.206 / Padding
...

Python 3.7.9 : how to fix update errors between pip and setuptools.

The python language was mainly developed to emphasis on code readability.

That's why I think that it should not be affected by such errors, but they are easily fixed ...

    launcher = self._get_launcher('t')
  File "C:\Users\catafest\AppData\Roaming\Python\Python37\site-packages\pip\_vendor\distlib\scripts.py", line 404, in _get_launcher
    raise ValueError(msg)
ValueError: Unable to find resource t64.exe in package pip._vendor.distlib

[notice] A new release of pip available: 22.3 -> 22.3.1
[notice] To update, run: python.exe -m pip install --upgrade pip

C:\PythonProjects\scapy001>python -m pip uninstall pip setuptools
Found existing installation: pip 22.3
Uninstalling pip-22.3:
  Would remove:
    c:\users\catafest\appdata\roaming\python\python37\scripts\pip.exe
    c:\users\catafest\appdata\roaming\python\python37\scripts\pip3.10.exe
    c:\users\catafest\appdata\roaming\python\python37\scripts\pip3.7.exe
    c:\users\catafest\appdata\roaming\python\python37\scripts\pip3.exe
    c:\users\catafest\appdata\roaming\python\python37\site-packages\pip-22.3.dist-info\*
    c:\users\catafest\appdata\roaming\python\python37\site-packages\pip\*
Proceed (Y/n)? y
  Successfully uninstalled pip-22.3
Found existing installation: setuptools 47.1.0
Uninstalling setuptools-47.1.0:
  Would remove:
    c:\python379\lib\site-packages\easy_install.py
    c:\python379\lib\site-packages\pkg_resources\*
    c:\python379\lib\site-packages\setuptools-47.1.0.dist-info\*
    c:\python379\lib\site-packages\setuptools\*
    c:\python379\scripts\easy_install-3.7.exe
    c:\python379\scripts\easy_install.exe
Proceed (Y/n)? y
  Successfully uninstalled setuptools-47.1.0

C:\PythonProjects\scapy001>pip3 install --upgrade pip
Requirement already satisfied: pip in c:\python379\lib\site-packages (22.3.1)

C:\PythonProjects\scapy001>pip install --upgrade setuptools
Collecting setuptools
  Downloading setuptools-65.6.3-py3-none-any.whl (1.2 MB)
     ---------------------------------------- 1.2/1.2 MB 4.1 MB/s eta 0:00:00
Installing collected packages: setuptools
Successfully installed setuptools-65.6.3